The economical generation of electricity has long been an important humanitarian objective. More recently the generation of electrical power in an environmentally friendly manner has also become an important objective. Solar electrical generating systems have been provided to meet these objectives. Developments in the movement or tracking of solar electivity generating devices in association with the apparent position of sun over time has produced solar trackers. More particularly, a solar tracker is a device for orienting a daylighting reflector, solar photovoltaic panel or concentrating solar reflector or lens toward the sun. The sun's position in the sky varies both with the seasons and time of day as the sun moves across the sky. Solar electricity-generating devices work most efficiently when the central rays of the sun strike the face of the solar electricity generating elements perpendicularly. Solar generating equipment works best when pointed at or near the sun, so a solar tracker can increase the effectiveness of such equipment (i.e., produce more energy) in comparison to operating such equipment in any fixed position. Solar panel mounting systems are available which include hardware to permanently affix the array to a roof, a pole, or the ground.
Solar trackers may be active or passive and may be single axis or dual axis. Single axis trackers usually use a polar mount (i.e., a mount that has an axis that is oriented in the same direction as the axis of revolution of the earth) for maximum solar efficiency. Single axis trackers can have a manual elevation (axis tilt) adjustment on a second axis which is adjusted at regular intervals throughout the year, which can raise the overall collection efficiency.
Active trackers use motors and gear trains to direct the tracker as commanded by a controller responding to the solar direction. A chronological tracker counteracts the Earth's rotation by turning at an equal rate as the earth, but in the opposite direction. Actually the rates aren't quite equal, because as the earth goes around the sun, the position of the sun changes with respect to the earth by 360° every year or 365.24 days. A chronological tracker is a very simple yet potentially a very accurate solar tracker specifically for use with a polar mount. The drive method may be as simple as a gear motor that rotates at a very slow average rate of one revolution per day (i.e., 15 degrees per hour). In theory the tracker may rotate completely, assuming there is enough clearance for a complete rotation. Alternatively, an electronic controller may be used, with a real time clock that is used to infer the “solar time” (hour angle). Tracking adjustments can be made periodically or continuously.
Residential solar array installations are often solar panels arrays that are fixedly mounted on south-facing roof areas. This arrangement of solar panels arrays is most effective mounted on roofs with essentially east-west oriented roof crests. What is needed, but has yet been provided, is a solar array tracking system that is mountable at the peak of a roof and which has a tracking arrangement that allows a significant amount of east-to-west tilting/tracking during the day.